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33-Year-Old Born With Extremely Rare Facial Defect Is Breaking Beauty Standards With Her Modeling Career
"Remind the world that everyone is beautiful." These are the words of Ilka Brühl - a 33-year-old woman from Germany, who took it upon herself to spread positivity and empowerment by telling her own story.
Since the day she was born, Ilka has lived a troublesome life. "I was born with a facial cleft and my nose airways were not properly formed," she told Project Grenzenlos. "In addition, I lacked on the right side of the tear duct, so that the permanent natural moistening of the eye has led to me right tears have always run out of the eye."
Now, after countless operations, Ilka is a strong, confident woman, sharing her story and experiences, with hope to encourage people to love themselves. Two years ago, she has begun posing for some of her photographer friends. "There was so much positive feedback, that I got more and more courage to show myself as I am. Pure and unaffected," she told.
Ilka shares her images, motivating people to come out of their shells and to show their true beauty. "There is only one way to be ugly: by having an ugly character. No one has to hide because of their appearance!"
More info: ilka-bruehl.de | Facebook (h/t Project Grenzenlos)
This post may include affiliate links.
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#6
Manoiu Valentina-Mariana 7 years ago
She reminds me the beautiful Neytiri and Na'vi people <3! She's beautiful <3!
#10
Lori Turpin 7 years ago
beauty is in the beholder they say....and you are beautiful young woman
moses sustain 7 years ago
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#18
#22
#48
Merilyn Horton 7 years ago
I think her appearance allows a photographer to show greater depth of emotions.
#53
Crista Downey 7 years ago
I love this one, the black and white shows all of her. Just gorgeous.
#55
#72
Valerie Ward 6 years ago
Why are her eyes blackened underneath? Is this strange bruised "look" part of her defect, perhaps? I know she is using her defect to make her stand out..but the fact is that she is very beautiful, anyway..If she were overweight and short the companies would not pay any attention. This is STILL about the body.
#86
Scarlet Black 7 years ago
I don't think I've seen anyone so beautiful. She's just wow. Breathtaking really.
#103
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Kyle Hart 7 years ago
There is something ethereal about her. Also my brain screams Elf, but that's just my nerd showing threw.
Moglin Sin 7 years ago
I was thinking the same thing. She also has fairy like features! ^.^
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Marius Jan 7 years ago
You think she's breaking beauty standarts? I think they're exploiting hers unconventional appearance to sell fashion. People with various conditions used to end up in a circus for people to watch and speak about. Now they're ending up on catwalks for people to watch and speak about.
sunnyrei82 7 years ago
It's not like they're forcing her to do it. It's a career she chose. And she's getting paid to do what she likes! So... no.. I don't feel sorry for her. I'm glad she took advantage of her "difference". She knows she's not considered "normal" by society and beauty standards, she knows fashion is a cruel, shallow industry. But she decided to go for it. And she's doing what she wants and likes. So... kudos for her! I don't think anybody is "exploiting" her. Win-win for everybody.
Load More Replies...
Vivek Mhatre 7 years ago
And once again we see, why forgetting a punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence. In this case, its the question mark.
Load More Replies...
SirWriteALot 7 years ago
Uhm ... no, sorry. Not everyone is beautiful, not everyone is a winner and not everyone gets the prize.
Meowton Mewsk 7 years ago
True, not everyone. But she is. Her face legit looks great.
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Aaaa Bbbb 7 years ago
I don't see the "defect" here. Her face looks perfectly functional, it's just unusual.
Je Suis Ce Que Je Suis 7 years ago
It's interesting how the tiniest variation in certain aspects of what's deemed the standard human appearance can provoke negative responses from some people whereas large variations in other aspects don't even register.
Sasha Zack 7 years ago
I think she is legitimately beautiful. Not just from a body-positive, "every face is a good face" point of view. She has some really striking, model-worthy features. My word, I wish I had cheekbones like that...I've never seen anyone like her.
Phil Boswell 7 years ago
My first thought was that she looks a bit like the gorgeous blue aliens from "Avatar" o.O only shorter and less blue, obviously ;-)
Scott Lloyd 7 years ago
The emotion in every picture is amazing you can almost feel them. Her eyes just draw you in. every picture has an odd beauty to them they are just so much emotion and yet everyone looks like a slice of some ethereal life.
Izsabelle Norby 7 years ago
Wow... These comments are crucial. Circus? I think not, I think it's showing your beauty, anyone can do it. Just because they're different does not mean it's like a freak show. I think she has this weird perfection honestly, like I've seen her before.... I don' t mean weird like AHH WEIRD! no I mean she looks very familiar like Déjà Vu... unexplainable. She's gorgeous and honestly she did win the prize. No she does not fit the eye of the beholder, because her beauty is too much for anyone. I absolutely love her face, breaking is an understatement she is soaring above normal beauty standards in a astounding way.
Meow 7 years ago
The credit under the pictures is wrong. If you tap the name "Ilka Brühl" below the pictures, it leads to Instagram username "ilkamiilka" which doesn't exist. The correct Instagram username is "ilkabruehl". You should change it. Link: https://www.instagram.com/ilkabruehl
Meow 7 years ago
I noticed there isn't "Ilka Brühl" below every picture, but on page 3 of 11 it's below most of the pictures
Load More Replies...
Michaela Robbins 7 years ago
She's gorgeous. Someone else said she has fairy-like features and I agree.
Scarlet Black 7 years ago
I honestly believe that everyone is beautiful, but in my opinion, I've never seen anybody as beautiful as her. And her eyes are amazing. Her best feature has got to be all of it. She's breathtaking.
JD Cassavaugh 7 years ago
A sci-fi goddess. She looks as though she's further along the evolutionary stride than the rest of us boring humans.
Garrincha 7 years ago
People may not want to agree but I wouldn't say she's an attractive woman nor is she breaking any beauty standards. She's only there because of the fact that she's not normal. This is like when there's an overweight woman who is 'comfortable' with her looks so she poses and everyone comments on how pretty she is. Everyone knows the 'standards of beauty' in this current world and its not the above and its not fat ppl. The way I see it is be comfortable in your looks however God made you. You don't have to prance around on Internet trying to get likes from people. It's abit like a circus. Tallest man, fattest woman, siamese twins, hairy ppl, unusual people etc people come to watch they are only there because they want to see this sort of thing. It's quite sad really
Åsa Eriksson 7 years ago
Totally fascinated by her beauty. Drew her portrait https://www.instagram.com/p/Bieo4qEB8u6/
Marika Stanway 7 years ago
There will always be people who are not nice.. but I hope you know you are utterly beautiful in your own unique way. Don't even believe the ones who say you are not. These pictures are so beautiful. Who ever made them, has great skill both in photography and post processing. Wonderful work!
JoAnne Klein 7 years ago
She's utterly exquisite! Definitely a uniqueness about her as if she's not real - but a wishful replica of the ultimately perfect human!
Random Panda 7 years ago
She doesn't fit my idea of beauty (and that's why they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder), but the photos are all magnificent, with an ethereal atmosphere and her unusual appearance contributes a lot to that.
Edward LePontney 7 years ago
Everyone of them was truly unique. Of course there are the ones that I like better than the others but the ones that are my most favorite of all are the two where she is smiling. Such radiance! She should do that a LOT more when modeling!
AnnieLaurie Burke 7 years ago
She reminds me of a younger Meryl Streep. Yes, I'm old enough to remember!
Cece Venticinc 7 years ago
It took me to go through 5 photos until I noticed it. She is very beautiful and no doubt more beautiful than me! Good for her with her career.
Kyle Hart 7 years ago
There is something ethereal about her. Also my brain screams Elf, but that's just my nerd showing threw.
Moglin Sin 7 years ago
I was thinking the same thing. She also has fairy like features! ^.^
Load More Replies... Marius Jan 7 years ago
You think she's breaking beauty standarts? I think they're exploiting hers unconventional appearance to sell fashion. People with various conditions used to end up in a circus for people to watch and speak about. Now they're ending up on catwalks for people to watch and speak about.
sunnyrei82 7 years ago
It's not like they're forcing her to do it. It's a career she chose. And she's getting paid to do what she likes! So... no.. I don't feel sorry for her. I'm glad she took advantage of her "difference". She knows she's not considered "normal" by society and beauty standards, she knows fashion is a cruel, shallow industry. But she decided to go for it. And she's doing what she wants and likes. So... kudos for her! I don't think anybody is "exploiting" her. Win-win for everybody.
Load More Replies... Vivek Mhatre 7 years ago
And once again we see, why forgetting a punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence. In this case, its the question mark.
Load More Replies... SirWriteALot 7 years ago
Uhm ... no, sorry. Not everyone is beautiful, not everyone is a winner and not everyone gets the prize.
Meowton Mewsk 7 years ago
True, not everyone. But she is. Her face legit looks great.
Load More Replies... Aaaa Bbbb 7 years ago
I don't see the "defect" here. Her face looks perfectly functional, it's just unusual.
Je Suis Ce Que Je Suis 7 years ago
It's interesting how the tiniest variation in certain aspects of what's deemed the standard human appearance can provoke negative responses from some people whereas large variations in other aspects don't even register.
Sasha Zack 7 years ago
I think she is legitimately beautiful. Not just from a body-positive, "every face is a good face" point of view. She has some really striking, model-worthy features. My word, I wish I had cheekbones like that...I've never seen anyone like her.
Phil Boswell 7 years ago
My first thought was that she looks a bit like the gorgeous blue aliens from "Avatar" o.O only shorter and less blue, obviously ;-)
Scott Lloyd 7 years ago
The emotion in every picture is amazing you can almost feel them. Her eyes just draw you in. every picture has an odd beauty to them they are just so much emotion and yet everyone looks like a slice of some ethereal life.
Izsabelle Norby 7 years ago
Wow... These comments are crucial. Circus? I think not, I think it's showing your beauty, anyone can do it. Just because they're different does not mean it's like a freak show. I think she has this weird perfection honestly, like I've seen her before.... I don' t mean weird like AHH WEIRD! no I mean she looks very familiar like Déjà Vu... unexplainable. She's gorgeous and honestly she did win the prize. No she does not fit the eye of the beholder, because her beauty is too much for anyone. I absolutely love her face, breaking is an understatement she is soaring above normal beauty standards in a astounding way.
Meow 7 years ago
The credit under the pictures is wrong. If you tap the name "Ilka Brühl" below the pictures, it leads to Instagram username "ilkamiilka" which doesn't exist. The correct Instagram username is "ilkabruehl". You should change it. Link: https://www.instagram.com/ilkabruehl
Meow 7 years ago
I noticed there isn't "Ilka Brühl" below every picture, but on page 3 of 11 it's below most of the pictures
Load More Replies... Michaela Robbins 7 years ago
She's gorgeous. Someone else said she has fairy-like features and I agree.
Scarlet Black 7 years ago
I honestly believe that everyone is beautiful, but in my opinion, I've never seen anybody as beautiful as her. And her eyes are amazing. Her best feature has got to be all of it. She's breathtaking.
JD Cassavaugh 7 years ago
A sci-fi goddess. She looks as though she's further along the evolutionary stride than the rest of us boring humans.
Garrincha 7 years ago
People may not want to agree but I wouldn't say she's an attractive woman nor is she breaking any beauty standards. She's only there because of the fact that she's not normal. This is like when there's an overweight woman who is 'comfortable' with her looks so she poses and everyone comments on how pretty she is. Everyone knows the 'standards of beauty' in this current world and its not the above and its not fat ppl. The way I see it is be comfortable in your looks however God made you. You don't have to prance around on Internet trying to get likes from people. It's abit like a circus. Tallest man, fattest woman, siamese twins, hairy ppl, unusual people etc people come to watch they are only there because they want to see this sort of thing. It's quite sad really
Åsa Eriksson 7 years ago
Totally fascinated by her beauty. Drew her portrait https://www.instagram.com/p/Bieo4qEB8u6/
Marika Stanway 7 years ago
There will always be people who are not nice.. but I hope you know you are utterly beautiful in your own unique way. Don't even believe the ones who say you are not. These pictures are so beautiful. Who ever made them, has great skill both in photography and post processing. Wonderful work!
JoAnne Klein 7 years ago
She's utterly exquisite! Definitely a uniqueness about her as if she's not real - but a wishful replica of the ultimately perfect human!
Random Panda 7 years ago
She doesn't fit my idea of beauty (and that's why they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder), but the photos are all magnificent, with an ethereal atmosphere and her unusual appearance contributes a lot to that.
Edward LePontney 7 years ago
Everyone of them was truly unique. Of course there are the ones that I like better than the others but the ones that are my most favorite of all are the two where she is smiling. Such radiance! She should do that a LOT more when modeling!
AnnieLaurie Burke 7 years ago
She reminds me of a younger Meryl Streep. Yes, I'm old enough to remember!
Cece Venticinc 7 years ago
It took me to go through 5 photos until I noticed it. She is very beautiful and no doubt more beautiful than me! Good for her with her career.
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